Heat at Pacers: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers (+3.5, 182)
THE STORY: The Miami Heat are back to being the favorite in the Eastern Conference. Two straight transcendent performances from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will do that. After combining for 70 points in a Game 4 win, the two stars went for “only” 58 but got plenty of help on both ends in a 115-83 demolition in Game 5. The Indiana Pacers added injury to insult on Tuesday, with both Danny Granger and David West going down with sprains.
ABOUT THE HEAT: Miami looked lost without Chris Bosh in Games 2 and 3 but has found a nice balance in the last two, putting suffocating defense together with strong, efficient performances from Wade and James. The Heat shot a franchise playoff-record 61.4 percent from the field while holding Indiana to 33.7 percent in Game 5. Miami pushed the lead to as much as 37 points late in the fourth quarter en route to going up 3-2 in the series. The supporting cast has been unusually solid in the last two games, with Udonis Haslem playing well in both and Shane Battier stepping up with four 3-pointers in Game 5. Wade, who is reportedly dealing with a knee injury, was on the receiving end of a hard foul early that opened a cut above his eye but had little trouble the rest of the way.
ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana’s chances rest on the tender ankle of Granger and sprained knee of West. Granger was injured in the first half and hobbled around for about three minutes after the break before sitting. X-rays were negative. West was injured at the end of the third quarter and did not attempt to continue with the game already out of hand. The two had scored only 10 points apiece at the time of their departure and were bested only by Paul George’s 11 in a terrible shooting performance. The Pacers will get the comfort of home, where they won Game 3 but lost Game 4, on Thursday.
TRENDS:
- Over is 11-5 in the Pacers' last 16 games as an underdog.
- The Heat are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games as a favorite.
- The underdog is 26-12-1 ATS in the last 39 meetings.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. The Heat are 14 for 28 from 3-point range in the last two games after going 5 for 42 from beyond the arc in the first three contests.
2. Pacers president Larry Bird called out his team after Game 5, saying, “I can’t believe my team went soft. S-O-F-T.”
3. A total of three flagrant fouls were called in Game 5.
Game 6, Heat-Pacers
By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com
The Eastern Conference semifinals may not have had the hype of the Western Conference, but plenty of people are taking notice of this Heat/Pacers series. The scene shifts back to the Hoosier State on Thursday with Indiana looking to avoid elimination and take the series back to Miami for a potential Game 7 on Saturday. The Pacers will happy to return home after getting blown out and beat up in Game 5.
The Heat led from start to finish in a 115-83 rout of the Pacers on Tuesday, easily cashing as seven-point favorites. The team that has won the second half in each game owns a perfect 5-0 SU/ATS mark in this series, as Miami finished off Indiana, 66-43 over the final 24 minutes. Erik Spoelstra's club covered as 1½-point 'chalk' in the second half, while the 'over' of 90½ hit thanks to a 39-point fourth quarter by the Heat.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade stepped up again for the Heat by combining for 58 points in the Game 5 blowout, while Miami shot a blistering 61% from the floor. However, the Heat will be short-handed in Game 6 as Chris Bosh remains out with an abdominal strain and Udonis Haslem is suspended for his flagrant foul on Tyler Hansbrough. The former UNC standout will play on Thursday despite his flagrant foul committed against Wade in the first half of the Game 5 loss.
The Pacers were held to 33% shooting from the field, as Paul George was Indiana's leading scorer with just 11 points. The game sailed 'over' the total of 180 ½, the second consecutive 'over' in the series following three straight 'unders.' Amazingly, the Pacers attempted 19 more field goals in Game 5 than the Heat (89-70), but the smaller Miami lineup outrebounded Indiana for the second consecutive contest.
However, Indiana's top scorer, Danny Granger will not be at 100% for Thursday's Game 6. Granger suffered a sprained left ankle after landing on James' foot following a three-point attempt in the third quarter. The durable Indiana forward missed just four games this season with injuries, but Granger will likely play in spite of sitting out practice on Wednesday.
Sportsbook.ag lists the total points for James on Thursday at 30½, shaded to the 'over' at -125. The three-time MVP has scored over 30 points just twice through the first five games of this series, while eclipsing the 31-point plateau four times in 10 playoff contests. Wade is listed at 30 ½ points + rebounds, as the odds are -115 each way for Game 6. The former Finals MVP barely sailed 'over' that number in Game 5 with 28 points and three boards, only the second time in 10 playoff games this postseason.
Following Philadelphia's victory over Boston in last night's Game 6 to even that series at three games apiece, favorites improved to 11-0 SU and 9-1-1 ATS the last 11 postseason contests. Road 'chalk' in the conference semifinals own a 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS mark, as Miami split the two games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Games 3 and 4 when laying points.
VegasInsider.com's Chris David believes that the total is tough to handicap for Game 6, "Gamblers looking to play the total on this game might want to pass, especially with the unknown injuries and suspensions. The total opened at 180 and quickly jumped up to 182, which is a fair number but probably still too low, if everything was in place and it's not."
It's obviously a must-win situation for the Pacers to stay alive, but the Heat are also in an urgent position according to David, "Miami knows that the Eastern Conference Finals will begin with Game 1 on Monday. With that being said, a win will get them three days off with Boston and Philadelphia playing Game 7 on Saturday. A loss in Game 6 will garner just one day off and maybe cost them the season. When the Heat has won in this series, they scored 95, 101 and 115 points, which means they have to push the tempo. But, I believe the suspension to Haslem and injury to Bosh will make Miami slow it down and that's exactly what Indiana wants to do."
The Heat is listed as three-point favorites, but that number can change depending on Granger's status. The action begins at 8:00 PM EST from Indianapolis as the game can be seen nationally on TNT.
Pacers on brink of elimination
Sportspic.com
“I can’t believe my team went soft”, Indiana Pacers’ president Larry Bird said after the team’s 115-83 loss to the Miami Heat in game five. “S-O-F-T. I’m disappointed. I never thought it would happen. That’s all I have to say.” After taking control of the series in game three, the Pacers have given it right back to Miami with consecutive losses, the latest of which was disappointing not only for Bird, but for the entire organization. Indiana heads home Thursday with the chance to claw its way back in to the series in game six against the Heat, and it will be interesting to see how the team responds to the Hall of Famer’s comments with their sports betting playoff lives on the line.
Even more disappointing than the final score in game six is the fact that the Pacers now could be without Danny Granger and David West, who both suffered injuries in the loss. Both have been key to Indiana’s success so far, and without either of them the series could very likely come to an end.
NBA Betting Preview: Miami Heat
Miami has proven after dropping consecutive games that they do have the two most talented players in the series with Lebron James and Dwyane Wade going off for a combined 58 points in game five, but the little things that the secondary players have done have been just as important. Mario Chalmers had a career-high 11 rebounds to go with eight points on Tuesday, while Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem combined for another 23 points. The Heat responded to Indiana’s physical play with a dominant effort that bordered on “dirty”, and it will be interesting to see if they enter this game at full strength, or if the association hands out suspensions.
NBA Betting Preview: Indiana Pacers
Bird had every reason to be upset with the play of his team after watching how good they were in games two and three, but you have to wonder how the team responds to those comments. While he was probably looking to provide the Pacers with motivation to rally around, it could end up having the opposite effect if they worry too much about the physicality and don’t remain composed. Granger has been among the best players in the series for Indiana and they need his presence in the lineup.
NBA Betting Preview: Outlook & Pick
As long as Granger is healthy, the Pacers should be able to rebound in game six with a much better effort and force a seventh game. Once game five started to get out of hand and players were injured things unraveled in a hurry, but after a couple of days to refocus and rally together, Indiana should come out with its best sports bet contest’s of the series on Thursday.
Pick: Indiana Pacers
NBA Preview
Miami is 14-28 behind arc in last two games, after going 5-42 in the first three; they shot 40%+ in their three series wins, under 38% in the two losses- they shot 61% last game. 15 of last 20 Miami games stayed under total. Haslem is out as well as Bosh, so Miami is smallish and thin inside. Will Indiana put up a fight or just submit meekly? Home crowd will help if they can get off to a decent start.
Armadillosports.com
MIAMI (53 - 23) at INDIANA (48 - 28)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 10-6 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 12-4 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI vs. INDIANA
Miami is 5-19 SU in its last 24 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Miami is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing Miami
Indiana is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games when playing at home against Miami
Miami at Indiana
Miami: 29-10 Under off win by 20+
Indiana: 13-24 ATS when the line is +3 to -3